From our series of news from around the nation regarding Bill HR1349, pushing to change the 1964 Wilderness Act.

Ted Stroll, a bespectacled, balding, retired attorney whose remaining hair is short and white, doesn’t fit the stereotype of an extremist mountain biker. But his group, the Sustainable Trails Coalition, is challenging the mainstream mountain biking establishment by fighting to permit bikes in America’s wilderness areas. Photo credit: Leslie Kehmeier/IMBA

A new law could change the nature of wilderness travel.

Stroll’s crusade has sparked strong resistance, particularly from wilderness advocates and environmentalists. His alliance with notoriously environmentally unfriendly Republican congressmen, whom he has enlisted to push a bikes-in-wilderness bill, is particularly controversial. Stroll’s small group has alienated would-be allies in the mountain biking community, who are loath to ostracize the greater recreation and conservation communities, especially at a time when many feel public-lands protections are taking a back seat to extractive industries.

The original text of the 1964 Wilderness Act bans “mechanical transport” — and bicycles are clearly a form of mechanized transport. For the federal agencies tasked with enforcing the ban, however, the definition hasn’t always been clear-cut.In 1966, in its first rule on the issue, the Forest Service banned only devices powered “by a nonliving power source.” That left the door open for bicycles. Mountain bikes did not yet exist, however, so neither the original framers of the law, nor the agencies interpreting it a couple of years later, even considered the possibility of bikes venturing into the mostly roadless areas and extremely rugged trails.

In 1977, as the first mountain bikes were being manufactured — evolving beyond the earliest jerry-rigged cruisers — the Forest Service changed its rules to prohibit bikes in wilderness areas. After a couple of conflicting decisions in the early 1980s, the agency confirmed the prohibition in 1984. By that time, mountain bikes were being mass-produced and rapidly gaining in popularity. Still, the ban has stood ever since.

Now, however, that may be about to change. H.R. 1349, introduced by Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., would amend the mechanized transport section ban of the Wilderness Act to read: “Nothing in this section shall prohibit the use of motorized wheelchairs, non-motorized wheelchairs, non-motorized bicycles, strollers, wheelbarrows, survey wheels, measuring wheels, or game carts within any wilderness area.” Utah Republican Sens. Orrin Hatch and Mike Lee brought similar legislation to the Senate floor in 2016.

Many environmental groups are opposed to the idea of allowing bikes into wilderness, but even some of the more permissive ones were alarmed by the congressmen carrying Stroll’s water. All three made the Center for Biological Diversity’s “Top 15 ‘Public Lands Enemies’ in Congress” list in 2017. Hatch and Lee are both standard-bearers for the federal land-transfer movement and favor opening public lands to extractive industries. President Donald Trump dedicated his controversial shrinking of the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante monuments to the Utah senators.

Stroll acknowledges the congressmen’s records, but says that they are taking a stand based on principle. The legislators “want this corrected because it’s a wrong,” he says. “We’ve had extensive talks, and I don’t perceive that they have ulterior motives.”

The mountain bike industry’s most prominent voice for expanded access, the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA), opposes the legislation, arguing that it could undercut the important relationships already forged between the outdoors and public-lands communities. IMBA has long fought against the loss of mountain bike access to wilderness areas, but has largely focused its efforts on making sure new designations don’t include popular trails. In some cases, it has lobbied for modifying existing wilderness so that trails lie outside the boundaries. The organization has worked with wilderness advocates to come up with mountain-bike-friendly compromises.

In a letter stating its opposition to the House bill, IMBA writes that collaborative efforts with Congress and land managers on future land designations are a proven way for bikers to gain or maintain access to trails. IMBA also cautioned that the legislative push could alienate the conservation community. “Public lands are being threatened at an unprecedented level, and it’s imperative that public land users come together to protect these cherished places and offer our voices in this critical dialogue,” wrote Dave Weins, IMBA’s executive director, in a letter to members describing the organization’s stance on bikes in wilderness.

Conservation groups have formed a broad coalition against what they’ve dubbed the “Wheels Over Wilderness” bill. In an open letter to Congress, 133 groups asked legislators to oppose it. A separate joint letter from The Wilderness Society, Back Country Horsemen of America and the Pacific Crest Trail Association wrote that the bill “undermines one of our nation’s bedrock conservation laws, jeopardizes America’s wilderness and won’t advance mountain biking.”

Stroll, however, remains undaunted. “The real fear isn’t that mountain biking will cause problems, but that it won’t cause problems,” he says. Stroll predicts that if the Sustainable Trail Coalition’s quest succeeds, no harm will come from biking in wilderness. Instead, backcountry access will improve for everyone, and his detractors “will be left with egg on their face.”

Expect new drone laws here in California and particularly drones flying without permission over public lands and/or harassing animals. We already have this one:California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW): CALIFORNIA CODE OF REGULATIONS TITLE 14, §251.1. Harassment of Animals. Except as otherwise authorized in these regulations or in the Fish & Game Code, no person shall harass, herd or drive any game or nongame bird or mammal or furbearing mammal. For the purposes of this section, harass is defined as an intentional act which disrupts an animal's normal behavior patterns, which includes, but is not limited to, breeding, feedingor sheltering. Report harassment to CalTIP: 1-888-334-2258-------------Utah passes law against drones who harass or injure livestockGov. Gary R. Herbert, R-Utah, has signed into law H.B.217, a bill that keeps unmanned aircraft system (UAS) operators from “harassing” livestock.Rolled out earlier this year by chief sponsor Rep. Scott Chew, R-District 55, and floor sponsor Sen. Don Ipson, R-District 29, the legislation says “a person is guilty of harassment of livestock if the person intentionally, knowingly or recklessly chases or otherwise disturbs the peace of livestock” via UAS. The bill also covers harming livestock via motorized vehicles/ATVs and dogs.For a first offense – and if the animal is not “seriously injured or killed” or “displaced onto property where the livestock is not entitled to be” – a person who is found guilty will be charged with a class B misdemeanor.On the other hand, a person will be charged with a class A misdemeanor if it is a second offense, if the livestock is “seriously injured or killed,” or if there is livestock or property damage in excess of $1,000.CLICK HERE for the original article in Unmanned Aviation.-------------------Cows don’t like drones. They’re loud, low-flying, and—in the hands of pranksters--dangerous.But help is on the way after a unanimous vote in Utah’s House on Monday for a bill to make harassing livestock with unmanned aircraft a crime. If it passes the state senate, it might become America’s first law explicitly protecting animals from this remote-controlled menace. Cow harassment is no laughing matter, Utah lawmakers say; as drones become cheaper, the tiny aerial terrors are reportedly wreaking havoc on America’s pastures.The bill’s sponsor, Utah Rep. Scott Chew is a rancher. But he first learned of his state’s drone problem when two constituents called to complain of drones crash-landing in their horse pastures.“I’ve had two different individuals contact me in more urban areas,” Chew told The Daily Beast. “Their horses were frightened after a drone crashed through their fence.”Sometimes a drone crash is just an accident, Chew said. As remote-control planes and unwieldy quadcopters become more popular, a few unmanned aircraft are bound to touch down among grazing animals. But a particular kind of malicious drone campaign is on the rise, in which troublemakers will unleash drones in “small, fenced-in areas” where animals have less room to run, Chew said. Corralled beneath the whirring blades of a teenager’s Christmas present, animals can panic or stampede.Chew’s bill would make it a Class B misdemeanor to deliberately harass livestock with unmanned aircraft, all-terrain vehicles, or dogs. Repeat offenders could be found guilty of a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine.Utah’s Department of Agriculture doesn’t have hard numbers on livestock harassment by drone, but they suspect the cow crime is happening.

“We see people harassing livestock with all-terrain vehicles … People in four-wheelers have chased down and run over calves,” Larry Lewis, a spokesperson for Utah’s Department of Agriculture told The Daily Beast, adding that some trespassers have even shot at cows for sport.He said the state lacks records on drone harassment because aggrieved livestock owners currently have no way to report drone crime.“There’s no reporting of such instances now because there’s no laws on the books that would require it. We feel it’s going on, but it’s not being reported upstream to our agencies,” Lewis said. “We feel that if people are using ATVs to do this, it follows that they will start using drones.”While a small drone might seem less dangerous than an ATV, the unmanned aircraft can seriously harm livestock.“Chasing cows leads to stress,” Lewis said. “Cows don’t need to run much. [Doing so] can lead to death,” especially if the cow runs through a fence or another structure.

“A mama cow can end up on the opposite side of a fence as her baby, and then you’ve got an orphan,” Chew said. “Or the cow gets stuck on the other side of the fence and you’ve got trespassing livestock.”Cows’ fear of drones is no secret on the internet, where a thriving genreofvideos show famers using drones to herd cattle. The startled animals usually start stampeding away from the drone, leading some farmers to herald drones as the future of budget-friendly ranching.

Drones might one day have a place on the farm, in the hands of trained ranchers, Lewis said. But, “it depends on how you manipulate the drone. Drones can be used by livestock owners to do legitimate work for their herds in a way that doesn’t spook or stampede them.”

Widespread drone harassment might be “a couple steps down the road,” he said, but it’s a real concern in Utah.“We see people harassing livestock with ATVs, with vehicles,” Lewis said. “It’s a sad state when people take technology and tools at their hands for mean and unnecessary purposes like harassing livestock.”

For mountain bike riders, gate 128 leads to mile 6, 7 and 8 of the Foresthill Divide Loop Trail. The trail is 11-miles in length and crosses Foresthill Road at 8-Mile Curve gate 128. From gate 128 the trail leads to Upper Lake Clementine Road. A length of more than three miles. Across Upper Lake Clementine Road the trail continues. At the 2.5 mile point, on this length of the trail, and 5.5 miles from gate 128, is a great overlook of Lake Clementine. (Photo credit: Mary West)Those first three miles are not much to see for hikers so it is left to mountain bikers who prefer to stay away from hikers and equestrians as much as we avoid them. But curiosity gets the best of most of us and we need to know, what is behind that gate.If you need to know what is behind gate 128, park in the wide parking area off Foresthill Road at 8-Mile and head off on foot behind the gate. The trail begins with an open area including a picnic table and chemical toilets. Armed with sturdy shoes and a supply of water, start your walk along the rolling hillside trail about a mile and half above the North Fork of the American River.I cannot tell you there are great views of the river here. I can tell you there are some ups and downs and even some level spots. It isn’t peaceful. You hear noise from the road nearby. This is a popular mountain bike trail so be prepared to step off the trail occasionally to allow them to pass. Due to the frequent road apples I encountered, I would say it is also a popular equestrian trail.Here is where I get philosophical and equate a less than stellar bit of trail to life. A connector trail makes you look close for beauty because it is not abundantly evident. I found it in the fall colors. I found it in the peeling red bark of Manzanita outgrowing its skin. I found beauty in the form of kindness in the simple message on a sticker. it is beautiful. You just have to choose to see it.To get there from Auburn take the Foresthill exit of Interstate 80. Drive over the Foresthill Bridge toward Foresthill. Just past Driver’s Flat Road you will see the wide curve that is 8-mile on the left. Watch for cross traffic, and park. This is a $10 fee parking area.In life the connector trail is where the work gets done. The thinking, the deciding, the conviction to get to the next trailhead and onto the next adventure. The length of trail is not amazing but like life, this is a trail that gets you from where you are, to where you want to be. The trail “connects” you … to you.

Mary West is a retired radio personality and news reporter with a longtime love of the outdoors, sharing her favorite day hikes in Placer, Nevada, El Dorado and Yuba counties. Learn more about local trails by following her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

The Acorn Creek trailhead and trail is a new publicly accessible parking area and trailhead for hikers, mountain bicyclists and equestrians, as well as general day-use public recreation associated with trails and wildlife viewing. The scenic trail connects to the rest of the South Fork American River trail system leading to Highway 49 in Pilot Hill and to Folsom Lake.

“This trailhead is especially exciting for equestrians who in the past have not had access this far,” said Julie Andert, American River Conservancy public outreach and office manager. “Due to various conditions, the last section of the trail to Folsom Lake has not been available to them. Now they can ride the full eight miles to Cronan Ranch, or beyond to Magnolia Ranch.”

In 2011/2012, the American River Conservancy purchased the 757-acre Salmon Falls Ranch, the name of the property where the trailhead is located, in two phases using grant funds and private donations. In 2015 the conservancy was awarded a grant from the California Natural Resources Agency to install a trailhead and one-mile connector trail as well as install native plantings at the trailhead, said Elena DeLacy, project manager.

In 2017 construction of the trailhead and trail was completed. Joe Vicini Inc. was the general contractor hired to construct the driveway and parking area and the Federal Bureau of Land Management and the American River Conservancy worked cooperatively to construct the trail. The trailhead and trail project cost approximately $330,000, DeLacy said.“While the majority of the funding came from the state of California through the Environmental Enhancement and Mitigation grant program, additional funding was received from REI Co-op, the El Dorado Hills Endowment, several equestrian groups, a mountain biking group and individual donors,”DeLacy said.

The trail has a little elevation change of about 200 feet and crosses over Acorn Creek. Views of the river are available at several places along the trail, but Andert said access is limited.

“There are a variety of views, terrain, plants and animals along this trail. The views of the rolling hills and the river are magnificent,” Andert said. “This trail is for beginners to advanced adventurers. Always bring water and watch for rattlesnakes.”

There will be a $5 day-use fee to help maintain the trails and provide restrooms after Friday, May 4.

For more information and directions about the Acorn Creek trailhead and trail, visit ARConservancy.org/events.--Laura Newell